Field of the Invention
Described herein are devices relating generally to fuses for use in electrical devices and systems, and specifically to fuses comprising mechanical and/or hermetically sealed features.
Description of the Related Art
In the field of electronics and electrical engineering, various devices can be employed in order to provide overcurrent protection, which can thus prevent short circuits, overloading, and permanent damage to an electrical system or a connected electrical device. Two of these devices include fuses and circuit breakers. A conventional fuse is a type of low resistance resistor that acts as a sacrificial device. Typical fuses comprise a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows through it, interrupting the circuit that it connects. Conventional fuses are thus thermal activating solid-state devices.
As society advances, various innovations to electrical systems and electronic devices are becoming increasingly common. An example of such innovations include recent advances in electrical automobiles, which may one day become the energy-efficient standard and replace traditional petroleum-powered vehicles. In such expensive and routinely used electrical devices, overcurrent protection is particularly applicable to prevent device malfunction and permanent damage to the devices. Furthermore, overcurrent protection can prevent safety hazards, such as electrical fires.
Some problems with the utilization of traditional fuses in many modern applications, such as with electrical automobiles, is that many conventional solid-state fuses have difficulty efficiently operating at high currents. Utilizing the electrical automobile example, fuses that will trigger at lower currents will interrupt device function at a much lower current than is actually hazardous, resulting in the automobile becoming unnecessarily powered down. Furthermore, once a conventional fuse is triggered, it is sacrificed and must be completely replaced.